Gallery: Sean Kelly Gallery
Exhibition: “In Mexico”
Artist: Candida Höfer
Event Date: February 2 – March 16, 2019
I decided to go to the Candida Höfer exhibit titled “In Mexico”. Höfer is a German photographer who travels around the world, photographing architecture that explores the psychological significance of these structures. She exposes structures with significance to the people such as churches, theaters, museums, etc. Her images are printed in large scale; some of them towering over its audience. This allows for the work to be viewed in greater detail, and aids in the audience finding a connection to her work. Her artwork can be seen at the various museums around the world such as the Guggenheim Museum NYC, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Hamburger Banhof in Berlin.
When entering the Sean Kelly Gallery, it is just an open space with white walls and the photos appear isolated which allows the audience to focus on one specific piece before moving onto the next. Höfer photos are esthetically intriguing as it plays symmetry in a single photo as well as the way multiple photos are presented. She had three photos from the same theater with different perspectives, laying them out as though we were the performers and looking out to the audience. This provides different ways of viewing the theater as well as see the details to the décor of the theater from the actor’s perspective. The majority of Höfer’s photos focus on one or two colors in theme, making the image appealing. These colors are elaborate due to the intense clarity in the photos, especially for their proportions.
Höfer’s artwork is so specific to her as it explores her perspective of the world and how it relates to other people. Compared to some artist, not all, their photos of monument and architecture could be standardized and lack a unique take. The intent of the artwork is to explore the way that the architecture can affect a personal psychological effect on the people from these parts of the world. This provides her audience with some understanding of her thoughts while giving them the ability to see the beauty of other cultures. As a viewer, I found that I saw the beauty of the subject as well as the art form. The details in the images gave me the opportunity to appreciate what was captures compared to if the image was not as intricate.
An image I related to was of a hallway filled with amazing artwork and catholic relics, embellished in Red and Gold decorations. The image portrayed the amazing history in the architecture, the history of the Catholic culture with is extensive collection of gold, and it is detailed from top to bottom. Every part of this image has a story and piece of detail that goes unnoticed. I chose this because the subject matter; as my family is extremely religious, I could understand the significance of this room and the artwork in it. Each photo in the gallery can speak to a person’s past or understanding of its contents, making the exhibit more impressionable towards its audience.
When entering the Sean Kelly Gallery, it is just an open space with white walls and the photos appear isolated which allows the audience to focus on one specific piece before moving onto the next. Höfer photos are esthetically intriguing as it plays symmetry in a single photo as well as the way multiple photos are presented. She had three photos from the same theater with different perspectives, laying them out as though we were the performers and looking out to the audience. This provides different ways of viewing the theater as well as see the details to the décor of the theater from the actor’s perspective. The majority of Höfer’s photos focus on one or two colors in theme, making the image appealing. These colors are elaborate due to the intense clarity in the photos, especially for their proportions.
Figure 1Candida Höfer “In Mexico”
An image I related to was of a hallway filled with amazing artwork and catholic relics, embellished in Red and Gold decorations. The image portrayed the amazing history in the architecture, the history of the Catholic culture with is extensive collection of gold, and it is detailed from top to bottom. Every part of this image has a story and piece of detail that goes unnoticed. I chose this because the subject matter; as my family is extremely religious, I could understand the significance of this room and the artwork in it. Each photo in the gallery can speak to a person’s past or understanding of its contents, making the exhibit more impressionable towards its audience.
The show was very important, especially during our current social issues in the United States. Regardless of intent, Candida Höfer portrayed the beauty of Mexico in a country that is led by someone against Mexican people immigrating to America. Though I do not have a person association to the work, I found it refreshing that a German photographer presented the culture of one country to be presented in another. Höfer communicated well with its audience when showing that architecture is an accurate representation of culture, the images in a larger scale and grabbing the audience’s attention allowed audiences to be inspired by the artwork. I would enjoy seeing some more of these Höfer’s work, as they represent the beauty of ordinary and extraordinary places in the world.
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